MONTPELIER, Vt. -
Many of us have memories of hula hooping as kids, but one woman is bringing back the trend.
With the flip of a switch, the flash of a smile and the swing of a hoop, Carol Becker is in fitness hooping mode. It's a new twist on a classic activity -- body hooping uses weighted hula hoops to provide a low-impact, but full body workout.
Becker, who's also a physical therapist, makes the 1 and 2 pound hoops in her Montpelier home. She shapes and connects PVC pipe to make the perfect size hoop. Smaller for those hula hoop pros -- larger for rookies. One pound hoops cost 15-dollars -- 35 for two-pounders.
Reporter Gina Bullard: "The bigger the hoop, the easier it is to hula hoop?
Carol Becker: Yes, and some people want a big hoop because it has a nice wonky feel around your body.
The smaller the hoop, the better the workout. Each hoop is personalized with three different layers of color -- and of course sparkle. The brighter the better.
Reporter Gina Bullard: Why the bling?
Carol Becker: Women like bling. Women like bling. That's the most important feature for them.
In the three years she's been making them, Becker has sold hundreds of these glitz and glam rings that strengthen your core, teach balance and coordination and make you burn calories while having a lot of fun. "it's fun. it's fitness," she said.
She uses them to teach workout classes called fitness hooping. "Hooping is more of a forward and back movement. You want to hold your core tight and when you do that you're engaging your back muscles so you're creating a body brace," she said.
And although the majority of Becker's hooping participants are middle aged women, it's fun for everyone. Even photographer Bob Davis took a whirl -- impressive.
Rejuvenating a classic pastime, with a Made in Vermont spin.
